Hole dug for full-sized prototype of Occy's tank at secret Queensland location!
Back in May, the former world champion Mark Occhilupo was revealed as the ambassador for yet another wavepool company, this one called Surf Lakes.
And, yesterday, Barton Lynch, the world champ and noted commentator and coach, was also wheeled out to spruik Surf Lakes, a company created by the Queensland mining engineer Aaron Trevis.
Travis’ eureka moment came when he was skimming rocks in a lake with his kids. Noticing the little waves the rocks caused, he wondered if he could make it happen on a bigger scale.
Like the rest, Surf Lakes promises the world: “Revolutionary”, “closely mimics natural ocean waves”, “lowest energy cost per wave”, “2400 waves an hour.”
According to the company’s PR release in May, a proof-of-concept prototype had been built in an outer Melbourne suburb and, somewhere in Queensland, shovels were out for the full-sized version with a late 2017 opening.
Now, what happens when these sorta stories come out is that we, the media, jump on the story, rewrite the press release, collect our clicks and our social spikes, and move on.
I figured, given its imminent unveiling, a little call might be order.
As it happens, the media guy is a former Tracks editor called Wayne Dart. He says the hole, which is 350 metres long by 250 metres wide, has been dug, but won’t, can’t, say where it is in Queensland ’cause, already, locals have been sniffing around, peering over the fence and so on.
The way the pool works, he says, is there’s a peak setup on each edge, where a circular swell creates four peaks or eight waves at once. A wave every six seconds.
When you see the prototype down in Melbourne, it actually makes sense, as opposed to pushing huge volumes of water with Thomas the Tank Engine. Commercially, this actually makes sense. His, and Wavegarden, is a huge boat wash, essentially. Ours replicates a mini-tsunami.”
“Kelly’s wave is longer and probably a better wave over the distance but ours will be shorter and punchier and there’ll be more of ’em,” says Dart. Occ and I sat at the Snapper Rocks surf club and, our rides, which are twenty seconds, are the equivalent of Snapper Rocks through to Little Marley. When you see the prototype down in Melbourne, it actually makes sense, as opposed to pushing huge volumes of water with Thomas the Tank Engine. Commercially, this actually makes sense. His, and Wavegarden, is a huge boat wash, essentially. Ours replicates a mini-tsunami.”
He tells me we’ll get our first look in March 2018. Occ’s going to split the first peak with his kid Jay; Barton is on the second.
Will BL be bummed he’s not on the first peak?
“He only has to wait six seconds,” says Dart.
Neither of ’em are going to be the first to ride out, howevs.
“That’ll be the engineers,” he says.
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I was referring theme parks generally with the last part of that statement. Right now they’re closing faster than they’re opening. By contrast, “experiential” travel, including surf travel, is one of the big boom areas in the tourism industry.
Probably like his wavepool, it’ll happen eventually
Amusement parks have coasters and water rides designed and built by multiple companies. Are we being sold short again with the way the surf industry tries to push brand superiority via paid endorsers?
is that a pun for cumming?
Too much talk. You notice something about Kelly’s crew, they worked on that thing for over a decade and didn’t spruik it to anyone. Nobody said a word or showed anyone a thing until they had an actual working wave. You want to fail in private and succeed in public with this stuff, not the other way around.
Whats your take on any of these things actually being commercially viable?
Ah ha ha ha ha ha
They’re basically surfing theme parks, how are those things doing these days?
I’m sure there’s a formula or maybe formulae that might work. I’ve only had actual experience of one and I kinda think that one (the KS pool) has a shot, but it has a great deal on its side, including the WSL operation and its highly committed owners who have such deep pockets — oh and they also have a pretty good and highly photogenic wave. It seems as if they have very clearly thought out plans for future versions of that one and they involve quite a range of income streams and uses, the Retail Experience would be a small part of it if it’s any part at all. It would be more about events of various kinds, visiting, elite coaching and skill development, the spectacle and what you can generate around that, and if you can use it to hook more people into being fascinated by surfing and thus become WSL fan base members. I reckon anyone developing a pool who is relying on surfers paying money to use it in order to generate a profit is, well, yeah good luck!
OCEAN DOME JAPAN.
There’s already a goddamn prototype you idiots. It worked great. Made tubes. Fun wedges. Probly relatively cheaply.
went broke?
Maybe not so good.
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
…and it still went bust.
It’s basically a giant piston that goes up and down in the middle of the lake. Then the waves push out to the edges of the lake in a ring. Up to 2.4m face height they reckon. The various bottom contours around the lake create 8 different types of waves. When the broken waves reach the edge of the lake they disperse into a deep channel so you don’t get backwash. Will be interesting to see it in full scale. I believe you can get a slice of the action for a mere $100,000 shekels investment.
basically like this but vertical…
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
LOL
I think that’s GW’s!
I hope he doesn’t poke me with it
I’ll hide the soap before he comes around.
are you still waiting?
Looks like an Artari game controller..
Mum reckons those are for plunging the shower drain?
One hundred thousand dollars shekels investment.
So they are adding a fancy floor to an old school wave machine. I can’t imagine it having much punch to it because of the lack of energy.
If it’s a mini-tsunami then they are displacing water by some kind of shape-shifting of the bottom, not dropping a rock in…..
Exactly where did I say dropping a rock in? I was talking about how the old water park wavepools work. Kelly’s has constant force the whole way down providing wave energy. One push of water at one end and that’s it, the energy will dissipate really quickly.
ah, sorry, I equated your idea of dropping Occy into the pool with dropping a rock.
same diff but.
I’m thinking punchy D Bah type waves. Chaos!
Just saw Dorian’s wave at the Fincham Pool filmed from front on. Never seen this perspective before. The wave looks so fucking fun, I’m jumping from Chas’ Bad Cop camp into Derek’s Good Cop camp. I’m in love with a machine!!!
Boy does Dorian hit the ceiling on that thing!
Sure, he surfs it well enough, but that fake wave!!!
The idea of picking up a huge chunk of mass and dropping it in the water makes more sense because gravity takes over the tough work (pulling the train so to speak)
But i guess the more the better right, now the WCT will have a stop in wales, VA, one in FL, two in texas, one in Lemore and a couple in Australia! Say hello to the Gucci dream tour 2023!
I’m sure a chlorine company will be leaping at this amazing naming rights opportunity.
How do you intend on getting the huge mass into the air?
Actually maybe that’s why they have Occy onboard. They are just going to get him to dive bomb the deep end over and over.
Quantum Entanglement and its ability to create spooky action at a distance.
I love quantum entanglement
Just because this is a surf article comment section i have to first believe you are being facetious, but maybe im in a time line where a conversation on quantum entanglement can exist within one
no, no I actually do.
don’t tell me you understand fucken quantum entanglement.
Of course not, but nobody else does either……even the top guys like Carlo Rovelli admit to having no idea about quantum entanglement.
Yeah – I get a kick out of not understanding shit, I mean quantum entanglement! I don’t even understand relativity. guess I am just wary of any attempt to use physics theory as a Metaphor for Life.
don’ forget about rotational Kinetic energy which gives you angular frequency and momentum for Torsional twist which is relative to the modulus of rigidity !
fire wood
Wiggolly’s Paddling Style will bring the bags.
What’s Occ gonna sell then
Ha, found out a coupla days ago, a mate of a mate is involved in this. He’s looking for people to throw some money in. If you do, you get an invite to the pool for a ‘free’ session. I also happen to know where it is, if anyone has any ladders…
Hopefully the investment gets more return than a free session.
Im thinking “Ponzi point” or “Pyramid peak” for the waves name on the investors brochure !
I think Kellys crew would be laughing and thinking we looked at that concept in year 2 out of 10.
I rate it a long term buy, like i did with fidget spinners and Shiney Seal board polish in the 80s!!
Well if you listen to him, it’s a “sure fire thing” of course. All about developing markets really. If the full size prototype works out, it will then become a race to see which pool can take over middle Amerka. And then it will be too late to throw your life savings at, other than riding that sweet honey in Alberquerque.